As a result of the just-announced competitions of the National Science Center for research projects, four of our researchers received funding.
Among the winners of the OPUS 27 call were Dr. hab. Krzysztof Nalewajko and Dr. hab. Radosław Smolec.
The goal of the project "Global numerical simulations of relativistic jets" (PI: Dr hab. Krzysztof Nalewajko) is to study the structure of relativistic jets (formed in the vicinity of spinning black holes) using global numerical simulations solving the equations of magneto-hydro-dynamics (MHD) in general relativity (GR). Such jets are observed in certain active galaxies (galaxies with active nuclei in which supermassive (billions of solar masses) black holes accrete large amounts of magnetized gas), particularly radio galaxies (e.g. M87, known from the first ring image of a black hole) and blazars (having a jet pointed to us; its emission is relativistically amplified thousands of times), as narrowly collimated powerful outflows propagating at relativistic speeds (close to the speed of light), bright sources of non-thermal emission extending from radio to gamma rays (~16 decades in photon energy).
As part of the project "Towards understanding of low-amplitude variability of classical Cepheids" (PI: Dr. hab. Radosław Smolec), we will study the low-amplitude variability of the classical Cepheids, extremely important stars that are used to determine distances in the Universe. A good understanding of this variability will allow us to look inside Cepheids and better understand their structure and variability.
The research projects of doctoral students Ganesh Nitin Pawar and Sudhagar Suyamprakasam were selected for funding in the PRELUDIUM 23 call.
The project "Detached Eclipsing Binary Stars as Benchmarks for ESA's PLATO Mission" (PI: M.Sc. Ganesh Nitin Pawar) aims to identify detached eclipsing binaries (DEBs) as benchmark systems for measuring stellar radii, masses, metallicity, and temperatures with sub-percent precision in the PLATO mission field. By utilizing space-based and ground-based photometry, high-resolution spectroscopy, and parallax measurements, we will determine accurate stellar parameters. The project will test the reliability and accuracy of measurements across different methods and identify conditions for DEBs to be true benchmark candidates.
The project "Through the lens: Discovering continuous gravitational waves amplified by microlensing" (PI: M.Sc. Sudhagar Suyamprakasam) regards continuous gravitational waves from galactic sources, such as rotating non-axisymmetric neutron stars, that have not yet been detected. This project aims to identify these signals through microlensing, which occurs when a massive object lies in the line of sight between the source and the detector, temporarily magnifying the signal. We will employ time-domain F-statistics and machine-learning techniques to conduct these searches.
